The 12 saves of Christmas - try these festive crackers, including BIG Boxing Day sales, £10 champers, shift debt to 36mths 0%, energy bills up from Thu & more
The hardworking elves at MSE Towers have been rustling up the last few quick tips of the year. So take a break from the turkey, put down the mince pies and read our 12 post-Christmas crackers...
- 50%-70% off in Boxing Day sales, including Argos, Asos, Boots, Ikea, John Lewis, M&S and Next. Festive discounts are in full swing, and we expect many to be boosted further over the coming days. Get the latest in our full sales round-up & analysis.
IMPORTANT: Sales are great if you need something, it's discounted, and the store has the right size or model. But don't get sucked in by the hype. Before buying, remember Martin's Money Mantras: Do I need it? Can I afford it? Have I checked prices elsewhere? If the answer is 'no' to any of those questions, DON'T buy it.
- It's Meter Reading Week. Electricity bills go UP an average 5.1% on Thu 1 Jan - here's what you need to know. On Thursday, the new January to March Energy Price Cap kicks in, which dictates the rates that about two-thirds of homes (in England, Scotland & Wales) pay. Overall, it's an average 0.2% rise when a 6%-ish drop in gas rates is factored in, but if you're a high elec user, you'll see bills materially rise.
The % increase you actually pay depends on where you live, how much energy you use and your mix between gas and elec. Our 'What'll I pay from Jan?' calculator gives a bespoke answer, or see full region-by-region rates. For broad-brush, here are the new average Direct Debit rates:
GAS. Unit rate 5.93p per kilowatt hour (kWh), DOWN 0.36p (-5.7%). Standing charge 35.09p per day, UP 1.06p (3.1%).
ELEC. Unit rate 27.69p per kWh, UP 1.34p (5.1%). Standing charge 54.75p per day, UP 1.07p (2%).
- It's Meter Reading Week. If you've not got WORKING smart meters, aim to give an up-to-date reading within a few days either side of 1 Jan, reducing the risk that your supplier estimates that you've used more at the new higher rate than you have. See our firm-by-firm when & how to do a reading.
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...But you can save almost 15% on energy bills by locking in a fix now. This Fuse Energy 1yr fix is the new cheapest fix at an average 14.5% cheaper than the current Price Cap. And as the Cap will rise on 1 Jan, the saving's even bigger compared to that. Fuse is a new-ish small challenger supplier, but we've had strong customer service feedback on it. As always, whether it's your cheapest depends on where you live and your usage, so the link goes via our full Cheap Energy Club comparison. - New. 2025's best bits from Martin's Question Time podcast. In this 'Best of', the podcast's producer, Matt, has chosen his favourite questions you've asked Martin in 2025, including: Can I refuse a smart meter? Is paying by PayPal a bigger risk? Should I keep cash under my mattress? Should you invest in gold? Will my new husband need to pay for my daughter's university? And, would Martin want to fight one man-sized duck, or 10 duck-sized men? Do listen to the new 2025 Christmas special Question Time podcast via BBC Sounds, Apple or Spotify, or wherever you get your Martin fix.
 Festive credit card debt piling up? Shift it to 0% for up to 36 months. If you pay interest on credit or store card debt, put your details into our Balance Transfer Eligibility Calculator to see your odds of getting a 0% deal.
Balance transfer credit cards pay off debt on old cards for you, so you owe the new one instead, but with 0% interest for a set time. If you've a choice, go for the card with the lowest fee that has a long enough 0% period for you to pay it off in.
The joint-longest card is Barclaycard's 36mths 0% (3.45% fee). With this card, all accepted get the full 36mths at 0%, plus if you transfer £2,500+ within 60 days, you get £25 cashback and 12 months' Apple TV. If you've poor odds of getting the Barclaycard or you're transferring less than £2,500, there's MBNA's 36mths 0% (with a lower 3.29% fee), but this is an 'up to' card, meaning you could get one of its back-up rates (between 35 and 16 months 0%) if you're not pre-approved via our eligibility calculator.
More options, including NO FEE cards if you can pay it off much more quickly, in Best balance transfers... though with all cards, always follow the Golden Rules...
a) Clear the card before the 0% ends, or they're 24.9%+ rep APR interest.
b) Never miss the minimum monthly repayment or you could lose the 0%.
c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate.
d) You normally must transfer within 60 days to get the 0%.
- Struggling with debt? DON'T DELAY - get free help. If the cost-of-living crisis has left you feeling desperate about your finances, help is at hand. Several charities offer impartial, free one-to-one help, but it's best to make contact ASAP as demand always soars in January. Full info in our Debt help guide.
- Switch bank & get a FREE £200 plus perks (or a £25 Amazon voucher for OPENING a new account). We've seen many (legal) bank bribes this year, with providers offering free cash and a variety of perks for your custom. These deals often tail off around the end of the year, but there are still three left that pay you £175+ to switch...
- Santander Edge - FREE £200*: plus 1% cashback on household bills paid by Direct Debit (max £10/mth), 6% easy-access savings on up to £4,000 for the first year and fee-free overseas debit card spending. There's a £3/mth fee, and to get the perks you need to pay in £500+/month and have 2+ Direct Debits.
- First Direct 1st Account - FREE £175*: plus access to a 7% regular saver you can put up to £300/mth into, fee-free overseas spending on the debit card, plus many get a £250 0% overdraft. It's also top or near-top of every customer service poll we've ever run.
- Nationwide FlexDirect - FREE £175: plus 5% interest on up to £1,500 and 1% cashback (max £5/mth) - both for the first year only, access to a 6.5% regular saver you can put up to £200/mth in and a £50 0% overdraft 'buffer'.
Or, if you don't want to switch, open a new TSB Spend & Save* account via this link by 11am tomorrow (Wed 31 Dec) and you'll get an email to claim a £25 Amazon voucher within 90 days. If you use the account, you can also earn £5/mth for 6mths if you make 20+ debit card payments each month. Plus you also get access to a 5% regular saver you can save up to £250/mth in. More info in our TSB Spend & Save review.
Full info and eligibility criteria in Best current accounts.
 Sign up for the FREE MSE Academy of Money course to sharpen your financial knowledge. Got quiet time over the festive period? Join 10,000s who've already signed up to our online financial education course (in partnership with the Open University).
The course is free, available in English and Welsh, and covers six key areas of personal finance: 1) Making good spending decisions; 2) Budgeting and taxation; 3) Borrowing money; 4) Understanding mortgages; 5) Saving and investing; 6) Planning for retirement. Read all about it and see what other personal finance educational resources are available (including for kids) in our Financial education guide.
- £10 champers & £4.70 prosecco - great if you want to see in the New Year with a glass of fizz. We've rounded up corking champagne & prosecco deals, but please be Drinkaware.
- Did Santa bring you a new smartphone? Use our 16 quick tips to keep it secure. Unfortunately, phone theft's rife and often thieves have sneaky tactics to ensure they wreak the most financial havoc on victims, including a growing trend of 'shoulder surfing' to steal your personal data and access banking apps. Tool up with our 16 tips to protect your phone from thieves.
 Another garish jumper from Santa? Or more socks? Your gift return rights.If the big fella got you something ghastly, misjudged your size or it broke on his sleigh, you may be in luck. Technically, only the buyer has rights, but many stores let recipients get a refund or exchange with proof of purchase (which may mean awkwardly fessing up to the buyer...). Full help in our Christmas return rights guide. Here's key info:
- You've no legal rights to a refund or exchange if the gift was bought in a store (unless it's faulty). If you just don't like the item and it was bought in a shop, neither you nor the buyer is entitled to a refund. That said, many stores let you return non-sale items in good condition for about a month after purchase, whatever the reason, though you may need to settle for an exchange or store credit - watch Martin's 2-min return rights video for full info. Of course, if it's faulty, different rights apply.
- If the gift was bought online, the buyer has the legal right to a refund. They've 14 days after receiving the order to tell the seller they want a refund and another 14 days to return it. (There are exemptions, eg, personalised or perishable goods.) So speed's of the essence here.
- Save £667.95 in 2026 with the 1p Savings Challenge. A fun MoneySaving activity to kick off the New Year - save 1p on 1 Jan, 2p on 2 Jan, 3p on 3 Jan, all the way up to £3.65 on 31 Dec. For full info, see MSE Olivia's 1p Savings Challenge 2026 explainer.
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